Ghost Story
by AmberLynx
Summary: Just as the title says: It all started almost normally, as it always starts, but the day they moved inside the old, abandoned house at the outskirts of the town marked the beginning of the nightmare from which they couldn't escape.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This story is what has been keeping me from Stay all the time (but I promise that I'm halway done with the next chapter). I just couldn't throw it out of my mind! Either way, this needs some explaining:**

**-B- Those are the breaks inbetween the scenes**

**~X~ Those are the breaks between weeks.**

**Enjoy! **

It all started almost normally, as it always starts, but the day they moved inside the old, abandoned house at the outskirts of the town marked the beginning of the nightmare from which they couldn't escape.

But let us start from the beginning, when the blackness was easily distinguished from light, and when shadows were dead, not threatening anything alive.

Wide, chocolate eyes followed the drop of sweat sliding down his lower's temple, cheek and neck. Long fingers squeezed the glass bottle he was holding tighter, feeling the cool from the ice cold coke inside seep into his fingers. His hands shook from excitement, long, orange bangs falling over his eyes did nothing to hide the emotions swirling inside his glowing orbs. The car they were at slowly stopped at the driveway, and the smaller male, wasting absolutely no time, jumped out of the machine, his coke falling to the ground with a thud.

His eyes followed every little detail – their new house was wonderfully different from the neighboring residences, having been almost untouched since quite a bit time ago, but the orange-head didn't mind it at all.

"You like it?" the other male asked, getting out on his own. "Ichigo?"

"I love it Grimm!" Ichigo yelled, turning around abruptly. The sharp sunlight, blinding the taller man created a halo around the other's head. He threw himself into his lover's arms, hugging him tightly, not minding that he was hot and sweaty from the long, five hours ride all the way from Ichigo's hometown to where they decided to settle, away from both of their problems.

The waves of heat were getting gradually worse with each day, and the summer storms were hunting their nights. Yes, it was right in the middle of the hottest yet summer that they finally decided to start anew, in the neglected, old, two-stories house that was big enough for their two enormous dogs and small enough so they were able to afford it with their savings. This purchase left them with next to no money, but both felt that it was a necessary change in their lives. It was the furthest house from their last place they could buy, after all.

The pavement was flaccid, children in front of the house right across the street from theirs were playing with a few caps from beer bottles, pushing them into softened surface and creating the patterns only they understood. One of them, a little girl with black hair tied into two pigtails squealed and pointed at the two dogs hopping out from the backseats, the huge Great Pyrenees shaking his thick, wolf-like fur and the pure white Akita following him. They sniffed around some, unmoved by the children high-pitched voices.

Ichigo smiled softly at them from behind his shoulder and gave them a small wave, letting Grimmjow pull him inside the house. The boards on the front porch creaked mercilessly, and the blue-haired man grinned sheepishly while opening the large door. "It needs some renovation." He said, motioning for his lover to go inside. "But I'll get to it eventually."

But Ichigo only stood in the high hall, his eyes running frantically over every feature visible: stairs with beautifully crafted handrail, leading at the first floor, wooden flooring and panels on the walls that looked like they were from entirely another era.  
Arms wrapped around Ichigo's waist, pulling him into hard chest. "Stop drooling, Ichigo." Grimmjow chuckled into orange-head's hair. Smaller male struggled out of the hold and dashed upstairs, set on discovering every thing possible.

"I love you, you know it?" Ichigo asked, throwing himself on the two-person bed. The thick dust raised from it, and both coughed furiously when Grimmjow lied next to his lover. "It's perfect. Just perfect."

Blue-haired man rolled onto his side and pulled the other into a tight embrace. "I knew you'd like it." He smirked, putting their foreheads together. "What would you say about christening it, hmh, Ichi?"

"Jesus, stop thinking with your dick!" Ichigo groaned, throwing his leg over Grimmjow's hip and sighing lazily. "And go and let Zangetsu and Shiro inside. They'll get cocked in that temperature."

"Shit, do I have to?"

"Yes. You forgot, you go." Orange-head pushed firmly at Grimmjow's abdomen. "Or you won't get any." Ichigo chuckled as the blue-haired man got up and, after a one lustful look, jogged outside of their new bedroom. Orange-head yawned and turned on his side, his eyes stopping at the bare wall right in front of him, with a pale violet wallpaper covering it. He slowly got up and walked up to it, feeling odd. He didn't know what he was doing, but he just stood there and gaped at it in strange daze. His hand raised on his own, his palm resting against the rough, warm surface.

In the mean time, two children were slowly walking across the empty street and up to the fence around the property. The girl's pink dress swayed as the wind picked up suddenly, but they never paid it any attention. Both stopped right at the gate, staring at the dogs, the girl jumping when Akita growled and moved away. Little boy with viciously red hair shrugged and reached out to pet the Great Pyrenean, which was still calmly seated right in front of them, through the holes, but his hand was grabbed roughly by a dark-skinned woman that appeared from nowhere. She looked at the house and snarled, grabbing both and pulling them hurriedly towards their own home, ignoring the little ones' protests and cries.

"It's enough that we have to live right in front of it!" she scorned them. "And I've forbidden you to go near it! Have you not heard?"  
Just as she was closing the door, she looked up and her eyes met the confused blue orbs.

Suddenly, just as the orange-head started to get a little sick and his eyes started to lose focus, Grimmjow _ran_ back into the room and grabbed him, tossing him back on the bed and straddling him quickly. "They're inside. That damn mutt tried to bite me … again… Ichigo?" he looked at his partner and shook him, getting panicky. "Ichigo? Ichigo!"

"What?" the orange-haired male twitched, looking around confused. "What the…?"

"That's my question."

"I think I just lost it for a little while there." Ichigo closed his eyes and slumped against the dusty covers. "It's all shock … after-"

"Shh." Grimmjow fell right next to him, cupping his cheek. "We talked about it, Ichigo."

"I know, I know." Ichigo muttered, his eyes straying to the side.

"I love you." Grimmjow whispered, fitting himself tightly against the other. "I love you."

"I know."

~X~

The white Akita, named adequately although a bit not creatively Shiro, was restless. The dog sniffed around the house, giving in to his primal instincts. His alpha, lying on his side and panting heavily at that moment, was paying no attention to his younger comrade, who slowly and steadily followed the trail of an odd scent he caught, and which was leading him towards the small, black door. His ears fell flat and a low rumbling was heard. His instinct was offering him the memories of all the things that _bit_: Zangetsu's claws and fangs, sharp lightness which was warm, thing with long and sharp claws his Master used on the grass from the trees that fell and the hissing long thing. Only Zangetsu remembered all the names that people used for these things. On the other side was that feeling he learned from humans, who called it curiosity. _Need_ was what he called it, he _needed_ to smell and hear and see, because this thing behind the door was on their pack's territory and because his mind was showing him all kinds o different good food, fighting the instincts.

Finally, Shiro backed away and jogged up to Zangetsu, who opened one of his eyes, looking at the other lazily. Akita nudged him with his nose and lied right in front of the Pyrenees.

_It bites._

Zangetsu rolled onto his belly and rested his head next to Shiro's, sniffing his fur. _Then don't get close. Stay away if it 'bites'. _  
Akita whined softly and licked under Zangetsu's ear.

_Even if it's food in there, it bites. Bad things bite, Shiro._

_-B-_

Ichigo sighed, dragging a heavy basket with dripping wet laundry across the hall. The washing machine was temporally standing there, right at the bottom of the staircase, which annoyed him greatly – that and the fact that both of them couldn't open the door leading to what was supposed to be their cellar, where the washing machine should be.

He stopped, seeing Shiro whine and sniff around the thin chink between the black door and the floor. The basket fell to the floor, creating small puddle of water, when the dog started to claw at the wooden surface. "Stop it, Shiro!" Ichigo yelled, shooing the Akita away and crouching to check the damage done. "You're lucky that the floor's okay, or you'd be living outside!" he added, growling lowly. Shiro only glared at him and jumped outside over Zangetsu. The older dog barely registered it with a huff and laid still, basking in the cool breeze from the windmill. "And you, you lazy old man! You should keep an eye on him!"

Zangetsu ignored him.

Ichigo shook his head, and started getting up, but his eyes caught a strange crafting on the brim of the black door. His fingers slowly brushed over the small cross and strange symbols around it, crafted on the surface. "What the hell?" orange-head asked himself, lowering himself so he could look at it better. "How did I miss this?"

The strange feeling he felt the first he got there was back, and Ichigo's vision blurred a bit. He clutched his head and slumped against the door, whining quietly. But the fog that settled over his eyes cleared quickly when he heard a faint scratching sound from behind the door.

Ichigo jumped away, his heart trashing madly against his ribcage. His eyes widened with fear, but the curiosity got better of him and he crawled back to the door and put his ear against it.

He heard nothing more.

~X~

Ichigo glanced worriedly at Zangetsu, stopping with his hands hovering above the thin rope he used to dry the washing. After a couple of visits to the nearby vet, they learned that nothing was wrong with him, but still Ichigo felt that something was not right.

Grimmjow blamed the heat of the summer, and said that Zangetsu had had a good life with him, earning a silent treatment for two next days. He apologized.  
He sighed and left the washing in the basket outside. Walking through their damaged by the summer's sharp sunlight grass, he pulled a face at the dry sound his feet created. He stepped over the panting dog, leaning down and petting it's head, and walked into the house, where Grimmjow tried to pick at the lock of the black door leading to the cellar.

"Fuck this shit!" blue-haired man yelled. "I can't do this! I've been trying for these two weeks, but I give up!"

-B-

Akita observed as his Master's mate tried to get to the thing that _bites_ from his spot next to Zangetsu. Throughout the entire week that thing talked to him, and gradually, it's voice was getting louder and more understandable, just as his alpha was getting sicker and sicker. He knew it was that thing that was the cause, having been smelling its scent from Zangetsu's fur every morning when the Akita came back from the _sick grass_, but he didn't mind it at all. His alpha was like other humans apart from Master – devious – lying about the thing, which was nothing but _calm _like Master. Thing was right, the older dog didn't deserve his Master.

The thing that _bites _was slowly stopping _biting_ in Shiro's eyes. His alpha's claws won't keep him away from it for too long.

~X~

One week ago he had promised himself that he would let the thing out. It was time to fulfill that promise.

Shiro slowly crept toward the black door, sniffing around for his Master or Zangetsu. He stopped right before the door and smiled like a dog could smile. He started scratching at the place that the thing pointed out.

He was _grateful._ He was _ecstatic_. He was _joyful_. So many different word, so many different contexts, so many new experiences he could name – all the things that the thing told him. Zangetsu never was kind enough to teach him that; the Akita was always lead by the Pyrenees, but not once was he his partner. The hierarchy of the pack wasn't appealing anymore. He was now too smart for that.

The symbols craved on the wood were slowly disappearing under his claws. He had to hurry, because his Master and Grimmjow would be back in a moment. _Oh joy_, he thought, sitting back and admiring his work, _I so like thinking like this._

_Like a human._

_-B-_

It's so not right.

Grimmjow's eyes strayed toward the finally opened door to the cellar, then to the body of Ichigo's beloved dog lying with its head oriented towards the pitch blackness of the basement. Blue-haired man rubbed his mouth, trying to figure out what to do exactly – it was either go upstairs and tell Ichigo now, or go back to bed and pretend nothing was wrong until the morning came.

So not fair it was him. Of course, even after being the bastard he knew he was and persuading his lover to stay at home despite knowing that he loved his job was his life (but his subconscious had a point – Ichigo needed to get some rest), and hated being alone, he never wished for Ichigo to find Zangetsu first, but still it would be easier for him to just leave it.

He winced when he caught a sight of the dog's tongue, sickly blue, sticking out, and quicly looked away. "Shit. Shit!" he muttered, crouching next to the body. "Why the hell now? Couldn't you wait a couple more weeks? We've been here only three, buddy. Shit, Ichigo'll lose it if he sees you." He added to himself, ignoring the scratching sounds, thinking it was probably Shiro, destroying the wood on their small terrace outside on the backyard, and started searching for something to cover the dog up with.

"Grimm?" a sleepy voice called from the stairs, making blue eyes widen. "What takes you so long? Is the glass picking up a fight with you again, 'coz I swear to God if you destroyed another one, I'll kill you!"

The sound of slowly descending footsteps made him panicky. He quickly jogged up to Ichigo, who was rubbing his eyes. Brown eyes snapped open when he felt two strong arms wrapping around his chest.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry, but…"

"But what?" he asked, trying to free himself from the tight hold. "Grimm, what happened?" finally he was released and allowed to look above his lover's shoulder. He gasped, quickly pushing the man away and walking up to the lifeless body. His knees created an empty sound when they connected with the floor. Long fingers trailed softly the tick fur, then dove into it, gripping tightly.

Grimmjow observed his lover, as he silently kneeled next to Zangetsu. Suddenly, Ichigo's head snapped towards still opened, black door, eyes locked on the blackness.

"Were they opened whole night?" he asked, his voice strangely hollow.

"No." Grimmjow answered. "I finally unlocked them when you were sleeping, but left them closed and never got inside. It was late and I was tired."

"I heard something inside sometime last week." He whispered, crawling over to the black doors. "And those don't look too good either." He added, putting his hand against the rough surface.

Grimmjow walked around them and almost stumbled in shock. There were scratch marks all over it, four of them ending where Ichigo's fingers ended, matching perfectly.

"I haven't seen them!" Grimmjow said slowly. "I swear! I wouldn't let you sleep inside before I searched through the house if I knew!"

"I know. We have to call someone – police, don't know… they don't look very… animal to me."

The police came, inspected the supposed 'crime scene' and found nothing. They all felt their neighbours observing quietly the scene playing around the newcomers. Shiro was strangely calm through all of the procedures, even licked the hand of one of the men that were packing Zangetsu's huge corpse into a bag. Ichigo and Grimmjow never slept that night, one haunted by strange sounds and nauseas, the other worried and trying to console the other.

That night was only the foretaste of what was to happen.

~X~

„Is something not right?"

Man shivered at the innocent voice of his loved one, backing away from the massacre he was witnessing. Wide and confused, child-like eyes glared at him, long fingers covered in blood reached out for him.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Bam!

His back hit the wall, his hand shoot up to cover his nose and mouth, trying to stop the nasty, coppery scent that lingered in the air from entering his nose drills. Ichigo grimaced and then pouted, getting up from his knees. The Akita growled lowly from behind him, showing his bloodied teeth.

"Why won't you come and sit at the table? I was just preparing the dinner." Orange-head said, slowly approaching his lover. Blood trickled down his chin, and he rested his wet palm against Grimmjow's chest, staining his shirt.

"I think I'm a little bit sick." Grimmjow whispered, looking away. "I'll go to bed, all right."

"No!" Blue eyes widened at the force with which he was slammed back into the wall. "I did this all for you! I quit my job and stayed at home, just like you asked me to! I'm at your every beck and call! We fuck just like you like it, eat like you like it, watch the programs you like! Why can't you just once do what I ask you to? Why don't you love me anymore?"

His voice was becoming more and more distorted, having an echo sound to it. Suddenly, Grimmjow was thrown across the room, landing in the bloodied corpse of one of Ichigo's eldest dogs –Zangetsu. With a quiet shock, he looked closely at the torn flesh and picked out eyes, almost gagging at the huge hole in the dog's stomach that Akita just _ate _out, freeing all the organs still not eaten to flow out on the floor. The stench of rotting flesh was unbearable, and he saw that the dirt was still in the dog's fur. Feeling scared, he tried to crawl away but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. In a split of a second, he was yanked onto his back and straddled by an angry looking Ichigo. He heard a clank and knew that his lover just lifted the knife he abandoned earlier, and tried to ignore the warm, smelly breath from somewhere above him. Akita growled as it sat next to his head.

_Kill him, Master._

_He doesn't love you anymore, he uses you. Like a slave. He _bites_, he's dangerous._

_Kill him._

Ichigo smiled wickedly, pressing the tip of the knife to Grimmjow's throat. Blue-haired man wanted to scream, to fight, to say _no I still love you!, _but his body didn't listen to him. He closed his eyes, and finally howled as the tip of the blade was forced through his skin and arteries slowly; he heard it dig into the floor underneath him and he felt a hot, burning pain. All in the split of a second before he fell.

Blue eyes opened again as he woke up, sitting abruptly on the bed. His hands flied to his neck, gripping it tightly and reassuring him that the traces of pain that he still felt were his fantasy and sliding over the sweat slicked skin of his chest, resting on his abdomen, where he felt Ichigo's warm weight just mere seconds ago. He scanned the room frantically in search for his lover. Panicked and wary, he raised from the bed and followed the strange sounds coming from the bathroom.

Upon opening the door, he saw Ichigo kneeling in front of the toilet and throwing up harshly. Weak hand raised and he heard the water running. "Ichigo?" he asked, making the smaller one jump. "What the hell is wrong?"

"I'm sorry I woke you up." Orange-head whispered, still not looking at him. "I just … I had to eat something bad today, I …"

"It's okay." Grimmjow kneeled behind him, grimacing at the smell. Ichigo twitched and moved away, standing up and washing his face in the sink quickly, not letting his lover see it.

"I think I'm going to make some tea for my stomach." He said, looking warily at his lover. Grimmjow nodded and watched as the other exited.  
A breathy sigh left him and he slumped against the wall, hands falling on either side of his hips. "What the…?" he asked, when he felt something wet on the tip of his fingers and crawled away as he saw it was dark red. The vivid images of his nightmare flashed right in front of his eyes.

One floor below, Ichigo gripped the sink in the kitchen while waiting for the water to boil. His eyes were wide and panicked.

It's not every night that you throw up your own blood.

But right now, he wasn't afraid of that – what scared him more, was his lover's reaction. The blue-haired man was more than worried about him, since he became more aloof and closed off since Zangetsu died, and he knew it. Despite not wanting to cause problems, he just couldn't help himself. He even kept Shiro close during nights, and Grimmjow graciously said nothing about it, even if he hated the white Akita.

The sharp whistling sound filled the kitchen, and Ichigo walked to the stove. Just as he was pouring the hot water into a cup, all the pots, that until now hung innocently on their hooks on the wall, fell to the floor, starting him and making him let go of the kettle, burning his hands all the way to wrists.

He screamed.

~X~

"Hello Mr. Kurosaki, how are you today?" the blonde doctor asked, motioning for him to sit down on the examination table. "You alone today?"

"Yea. Grimmjow has work." Ichigo said, fidgeting slightly. Urahara glanced at him and started to unwrap shaking fingers, humming at the red, wounded flesh.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Kurosaki." He sighed, putting his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, backing away quickly when he flinched away. "Mr. Kurosaki?"

"I'm sorry!" orange-head said quickly, slowly putting his hands on his knees. "It's a stupid thing, really. I'm a bit scared of hospitals and-"

"And doctors?" Urahara slowly gripped one of the red-head's hands and examined it, smiling briefly. "It heals almost too perfectly. Like it was a month not a week since you burned yourself. It doesn't hurt much now, is it?"

"Not so much. More like itches."

"That's good! I'll say that another couple of days and you can remove the bandages, but keep using the disinfectant I gave you, or else there will be an infection out of this or even worse tetanus and I'll have to chop your hands off!" the man said in a sing-song voice. Ichigo only grinned back, but his face fell quickly when he remembered for what exactly he came to the hospital beside the routine check-up.

"Actually, I have something more to tell you."

"Yes, Ichigo?" Urahara suddenly became serious and sat in front of him on a stool he kept around his consulting-room. "What is it?"

"I've been feeling weird lately." He began hesitantly. "I can't sleep sometimes and if I do get some rest I have nightmares constantly. I have to force myself to eat, but later I'd throw it all up at night."

"When exactly it started?"

"About two weeks ago."

"When you thought somebody was in your house? I have to say that there wasn't this much excitement since … well since always. But maybe you're just stressed out? You said you don't like staying at home all the time, maybe find yourself a job?"

"I thought that too." Ichigo said nervously, watching Urahara bandage his hands again. "But one week ago I… I threw up blood. A lot of it."

Doctor's head snapped up, his eyes wide in shock. "Blood? And you come here this late? You have some medicinal knowledge, even if you put off university! Any idiot knows that throwing up blood is wrong!"

"I know!" Ichigo snapped angrily. "I stopped and started feeling better, but yesterday it happened again. I have a headache ever since and my head spins a little. I just … didn't want to worry Grimm."

Urahara's cell rung, breaking the silence that stretched awkwardly after Ichigo closed his mouth. "Lie down, Ichigo. I'll deal with it quickly and call a nurse, we'll do some tests to see what's wrong." After making sure the red-head laid down, he gave a reassuring smile and walked into the storage room, forgetting to close the door.

"Yoruichi? I told you not to call me when I'm in the work, only if it's something important! I remember about Ururu's birthday, I'll be there."

Ichigo smiled, closing his eyes and thinking about the doctor's little daughter. She looked cute and nice enough, a complete opposite from her brother who was a noisy brat. It was a shame that Urahara's wife, Yoruichi, was so hostile toward Ichigo and Grimmjow, which was pissing the older man greatly.

"Listen, Ichigo is here for his appointment and … would you stop already with this? I love you, but this is going too far! They're normal people, it's not their fault that-! You know what, all of this shit you're saying is pointless. I have to go, see you at the party."

Ichigo scrunched his eyes closed tighter, trying to relax as much as he could, but it was futile.

"Ah, you heard this?" Urahara asked, standing not too far from him. "I'm sorry for that. My wife likes to believe in superstitions. I think that her working as a medium wasn't such a good idea, she gets way too much into the role nowadays."

"It's all right, I'm- we're used to it already." Ichigo said in a small voice. "At least it's better than back at-." He bit his tongue before he could say anything more embarrassing.

"The nurse will take you to do some tests now." Urahara said instead prying further.

"Can you stay with me?" orange-head asked, feeling like a small child all over again. "At least for the part of it."

"Yes Ichigo." The doctor said. "But I have to go for Urruru's birthday party so I can't stay too long."

"How old is she?"

"About three hours from now, she'll be nine."

"Nice."

-B-

After two hours of tests, he felt like he was going to die. Urahara offered him a ride home which he gladly accepted, only asking the man to let him out behind the corner, so that Yoruichi wouldn't see them together – it's no use adding oil to the fire.

Slowly, he walked to his home, silently thanking for the peace of mind the sleeping pills prescribed by Urahara would give him at night. He stepped inside his house, smiling at the noise from the house across the street and ignoring the eyes that were sure to watch him from the windows of the house across from theirs.

-B-

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow whispered, slowly sitting up in their bed. He shivered at the cold feeling of the sheets when he shifted towards the edge. "What are you doing?"

His lover must have not heard them, because he still stood facing the wall, with one hand resting on it. Grimmjow's eyes widened when Ichigo pressed his chest against the wall and mouthed it. He heard faint whisper, but couldn't make out what the other was saying, so he stood up and walked up to the orange-head.

"Come to me feel me come to me feel it me it come name I need love me feel me give me" Grimmjow stopped dead in his tracks, scared for his dear life. The chant continued, and Ichigo started to move against the wall. Long fingers slowly trailed the shapeless pattern of the wallpaper, lower and lower, till his knees hit the wall. "Love me need me feel me I feel love me need me seek me cherish me" The blue-haired man reached out but stopped when the Akita, until now observing them quietly, started to growl and bare his teeth. "Seek me need it love me call out!"

Suddenly he became silent, his muscles tensing. He jerked up and ran past Grimmjow towards the bathroom. Faint sounds of him throwing up could be heard. Blue haired man warily followed Ichigo, Shiro close behind.

His knees almost gave out at the sight. Ichigo was crouching in front of the toilet vomiting violently … blood. "Grimmjow…" he whispered. Consciousness left his eyes and he fell.

"Ichigo!"

-B-

_How can he interrupt my Master understanding?_

-B-

"Give me room for work!" Urahara growled, checking for Ichigo's vitals. Grimmjow reluctantly stepped back, gripping his bloody arm, that was bit by the Akita when he was moving Ichigo from the bathroom floor to their bed. It was nothing serious though, so he felt that the wound could get treated later.

The doctor's hands shook as he held one of the chocolate eyes opened and flashed the flashlight into it. "He seems alright."

"Alright? He was puking his guts out there!"

"If there are any organs bleeding I wouldn't know now. The skin isn't bruised, but that doesn't mean anything." Urahara straightened. "It's not the first time. Earlier today he was at the hospital and did some tests but they showed absolutely nothing, beside the fact that his throat is exacerbated. He said he can't sleep and if he does, he has nightmares. Do you know anything about what could have caused it?"

"Yes." Grimmjow said quietly, sitting on the bed next to his lover. "He was beaten quite badly four months ago. He was in a coma for a week, but eventually got better."

"By who?" Urahara asked, looking at sleeping Ichigo. "He flinched whenever I tried to touch him at his appointment. He said he hated hospitals-"

"His father is a doctor." Blue-haired man interrupted, rubbing his forehead. Urahara's mouth hung open slightly, showing unimaginable shock, but he composed himself quickly.

"I'll call for an ambulance and have him driven to the hospital. I'll repeat the tests personally."

Again, all of the street's attention was on the oldest house in the neighborhood. The sirens of the ambulance were soon joined by that of a police car - apparently someone thought that it was something different from what Grimmjow told to courious bypassers. Finally, he snapped and attacked one of the man implying that he was the cause of all of Ichigo's recent injouries. The man was treated by Urahara, and Grimmjow, instead of being with Ichigo, spent the night in a cell.


	2. Chapter 2

**-B- breaks between scenes**

**~X~ breaks between weeks**

"Hello Mr. Kurosaki, how are you today?" the blonde doctor asked, motioning for him to sit down on the examination table. "You alone today?"

"Yea. Grimmjow has work." Ichigo said, fidgeting slightly. Urahara glanced at him and started to unwrap shaking fingers, humming at the red, wounded flesh.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Kurosaki." He sighed, putting his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, backing away quickly when he flinched away. "Mr. Kurosaki?"

"I'm sorry!" orange-head said quickly, slowly putting his hands on his knees. "It's a stupid thing, really. I'm a bit scared of hospitals and-"

"And doctors?" Urahara slowly gripped one of the red-head's hands and examined it, smiling briefly. "It heals almost too perfectly. Like it was a month not a week since you burned yourself. It doesn't hurt much now, does it?"

"Not so much. More like itches."

"That's good! I'll say that another couple of days and you can remove the bandages, but keep using the disinfectant I gave you, or else there will be an infection out of this or even worse tetanus and I'll have to chop your hands off!" the man said in a sing-song voice. Ichigo only grinned back, but his face fell quickly when he remembered for what exactly he came to the hospital beside the routine check-up for his burns.

"Actually, I have something more to tell you."

"Yes, Ichigo?" Urahara suddenly became serious and sat in front of him on a stool he kept around his consulting-room. "What is it?"

"I've been feeling weird lately." He began hesitantly. "I can't sleep sometimes and if I do get to have some rest I have nightmares constantly. I have to force myself to eat, but later I'd throw it all up at night."

"When exactly it started?"

"About two weeks ago."

"When you thought somebody was in your house? I have to say that there wasn't this much excitement since … well since a long time. But maybe you're just stressed out? You said you don't like staying at home all the time, maybe find yourself a job?"

"I thought that too." Ichigo said nervously, watching Urahara bandage his hands again. "But one week ago I… I threw up blood. A lot of it."

Doctor's head snapped up, his eyes wide in shock. "Blood? And you tell me this late? You have some medicinal knowledge, even if you put off university! Any idiot knows that throwing up blood is wrong!"

"I know!" Ichigo snapped angrily. "I stopped and started feeling better, but yesterday it happened again. I have a headache ever since and my head spins a little. I just … didn't want to worry Grimm."

Urahara's cell rung, breaking the silence that stretched awkwardly after Ichigo closed his mouth. "Lie down, Ichigo. I'll deal with it quickly and call a nurse, we'll do some tests to see what's wrong." After making sure the red-head laid down, he gave a reassuring smile and walked into the storage room, forgetting to close the door.

"Yoruichi? I told you not to call me when I'm in the work, only if it's something important! I remember about Ururu's birthday, I'll be there."

Ichigo smiled, closing his eyes and thinking about the doctor's little daughter. She looked cute and nice enough, a complete opposite from her brother who was a noisy brat. It was a shame that Urahara's wife, Yoruichi, was so hostile toward Ichigo, but not Grimmjow, which was annoying the older man greatly.

"Listen, Ichigo is here for his appointment and … would you stop already with this? I love you, but this is going too far! They're normal people, it's not their fault that-! You know what, all of this shit you're saying is pointless. I have to go, see you at the party."

Ichigo scrunched his eyes closed tighter, trying to relax as much as he could, but it was futile.

"Ah, you heard this?" Urahara asked, standing not too far from him. "I'm sorry for that. My wife likes to believe in superstitions. I think that her working as a medium wasn't such a good idea, she gets way too much into the role nowadays."

"It's all right, I'm- we're used to it already." Ichigo said in a small voice. "At least it's better than back at-." He bit his tongue before he could say anything more embarrassing.

"The nurse will take you to do some tests now." Urahara said instead prying further.

"Can you stay with me?" orange-head asked, feeling like a small child all over again. "At least for the part of it."

"Yes Ichigo." The doctor said. "But I have to go for Urruru's birthday party so I can't stay too long."

"How old is she?"

"About three hours from now, she'll be nine."

"Nice."

After two hours of tests, he felt like he was going to die. Urahara offered him a ride home which he gladly accepted, only asking the man to let him out behind the corner, so that Yoruichi wouldn't see them together – it's no use adding oil to the fire.

Slowly, he walked to his home, silently thanking for the peace of mind the sleeping pills prescribed by Urahara would give him at night. He stepped inside his house, smiling at the noise from the house across the street and ignoring the golden eyes that were sure to watch him from the window.

-B-

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow whispered, slowly sitting up in their bed. He shivered at the cold feeling of the sheets when he shifted towards the edge. "What are you doing?"

His lover must have not heard them, because he still stood facing the wall, with one hand resting on it. Grimmjow's eyes widened when Ichigo pressed his chest against the wall and mouthed it. He heard faint whisper, but couldn't make out what the other was saying, so he stood up and walked up to the orange-head.

"Come to me feel me come to me feel it me it come name I need love me feel me give me" Grimmjow stopped dead in his tracks, scared for his dear life. The chant continued, and Ichigo started to move against the wall. Long fingers slowly trailed the shapeless pattern of the wallpaper, lower and lower, till his knees hit the wall. "Love me need me feel me I feel love me need me seek me cherish me" The blue-haired man reached out but stopped when the Akita, until now observing them quietly, started to growl and bare his teeth. "Seek me need it love me CALL OUT TO-!"

Suddenly he became silent, his muscles tensing. He jerked up and ran past Grimmjow towards the bathroom. Faint sounds of him throwing up could be heard. Blue haired man warily followed Ichigo, Shiro close behind.

His knees almost gave out at the sight. Ichigo was crouching in front of the toilet vomiting violently … blood. "Grimmjow…" he whispered. Consciousness left his eyes and he fell.

"Ichigo!"

-B-

_How can he interrupt my Master understanding?_

-B-

"Give me room for work!" Urahara growled, checking for Ichigo's vitals. Grimmjow reluctantly stepped back, gripping his bloody arm, that was bit by the Akita when he was moving Ichigo from the bathroom floor to their bed. It was nothing serious though, so he felt that the wound could get treated later.

The doctor's hands shook as he held one of the chocolate eyes opened and flashed the flashlight into it. "He seems alright."

"Alright? He was puking his guts out there!"

"If there are any organs bleeding I wouldn't know now. The skin isn't bruised, but that doesn't mean anything." Urahara straightened. "It's not the first time. Earlier today he was at the hospital and did some tests but they showed absolutely nothing, beside the fact that his throat is exacerbated. He said he can't sleep and if he does, he has nightmares. Do you know anything about what could have caused it?"

"Yes." Grimmjow said quietly, sitting on the bed next to his lover. "He was beaten quite badly four months ago. He was in a coma for a week, but eventually got better."

"By who?" Urahara asked, looking at sleeping Ichigo. "He flinched whenever I tried to touch him at his appointment. He said he hated hospitals-"

"His father is a doctor. He didn't like Ichigo being … you know, with me, a lot." Blue-haired man interrupted, rubbing his forehead. Urahara's mouth hung open slightly, showing unimaginable shock, but he composed himself quickly.

"I'll call for an ambulance and have him driven to the hospital. I'll repeat the tests personally."

~X~

Six weeks. It had been a total of six weeks since they came here, and Grimmjow started to regret not moving anywhere else, away from the place, from the _evil_ feeling that could be felt inside of the once warm and alluring house. They couldn't leave not just because of the money only – Ichigo, upon hearing even one word about changing places would go mad, throwing tantrums and scream.

During that week Urahara visited them every day, doing a quick check-up on Ichigo, since he refused to stay in hospital. Blue-haired man had even visited him, finally meeting his wife, Yoruichi, face to face for the first time. She was very careful about him, but never showed a sign of discomfort or displeasure – quite contrary, she gradually warmed up to him as the evening went. Still, she wouldn't even hear about Grimmjow bringing his lover around.

Blue-haired man gripped the cup he was holding tighter. Ichigo changed so much then. He'd rarely say something or even go out. He forgot about all of the housework, leaving the cleaning and cooking to Grimmjow, and just spent almost all of his free time in the cellar, sitting on the washing machine and glaring at the brick wall, sometimes muttering quietly under his nose. At nights he wouldn't sleep normally, but Grimmjow would often find him gaping at the wall.

Even the Akita was getting more and more aggressive since Zangetsu died. He stopped reserving only to occasional growls, but would full out attack him; biting painfully, but never with a serious killing intent. The dog was sizing him up, with almost too human-like icy glare, whenever he saw him. Grimmjow had even gotten Shiro checked for rabies, but the test came out negative. The worst of it was that it followed Ichigo around, and the orange-head did nothing to stop this behavior.

That's why Grimmjow, so uncharacteristically torn up and confused, was sitting by the kitchen table in his neighbors' house, pouring his heart out to nobody else but Yoruichi. The woman had her hair tied up, and was obviously very tense – her loose sweater stretched in the places where she gripped it with her fingers. When he ended, they sat in silence.

"I knew nothing good would come out of this." She finally spoke, deadly serious. "This house has seen too many evil doings in its history to not become evil itself."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a medium and can contact with spirits and lost souls, but what has grown inside of that place is far beyond my abilities." She sighed. "You see, this house is the oldest one in the neighborhood – it was built in 1846 or something, and was a main mansion of some lower, poor nobles. Other houses were built around it about twenty-five years ago, because nobody wanted to destroy that piece o architecture. My mother and I were one of the first to move in here. At that time, there was a man that liked to do things that were forbidden for any normal human. Even us, people with much more sharper senses, are not destined to see what they can't. But this man, this filthy scum, wanted more!" she stood up and fished out a small key from her pocket. The woman opened the drawer of the table and took out an enormous folder. She continued her story, changing pages and shoving Grimmjow some pictures of the people she was talking about." I was a little girl back then, barely six, but I still felt it. When police raided the place, they found him dead in the cellar, in the middle of the spells which should have never been used in the first place. My mother was stronger than me, and she knew more; but at that time it was more than impossible. Before we could do something about it, even check the house out on the inside, it was sold to a four-person family. We dismissed the idea that he managed to summon anything at all at that time. Not so soon after, because about two years later, the head of the house turned out to be a violent, unpredictable man and after beating and stabbing the youngest of his children to death was charged for domestic abuse and murder of first degree and put in prison for life. His wife committed suicide not long later in her mother's house - stupid woman turned out to be a psycho as well, but the quiet ones are the worst, as my mother used to say."

"I don't see how-?" Grimmjow swallowed thickly, trying to ignore shivers that ran down his spine repeatedly. "What does it have to do with us?"

"I _knew_ that man." Yoruichi spoke. "He loved his family and would never do such a thing to them – at least at the beginning. My mother would have picked it up the moment she saw him, but she didn't. There was something in that place; something made him do this."

"You see," she continued "unanimated objects like for example a house, contrary to what you believe, are capable of remembering. Do you understand? They have memory, they remember our _feelings_. Our regrets, anger, sadness, despair, hate or happiness; but sadly that place never got too much of the last one. They are like a storage for what we leave behind in a spiritual way."

"And later, there was a man that bought it. He was a loner, there was actually something wrong with him. Turned out he was a serial killer, and there were bodies of three young people, stabbed to death and raped, buried in the cellar and five more on neighboring fields. After him, the house was closed off and nobody would buy it until about seven years ago. They were an engaged pair, but soon something started to get bad between them. After nine months, the police again visited that place only to find the woman still stabbing the cold corpse. There were rumors that the man was alcoholic and was going behind his fiancée's back, nothing sure." She tapped with her finger a photography of a handsome man hugging his equally beautiful fiancée. "But, all of this made me think about what has caused it. Both Mother and I came up with a theory of what was happening inside of that place. You see, the first inhabitant that I know about, that scum!, actually must have had succeed in summoning something. It was inside of that rotten place – its influence was enough to make all of those people go crazy The house was sealed for a year, and we took our time preparing for the ritual and trying to figure out what was trapped inside. Finally, we came to conclusion that this thing _evolved_, feeding off of the tragedies that happened there. I didn't have any skill to put any fight against it, and my Mother locked me up and went there alone. When she came back, she was as white as a sheet. She managed to do it, but came back damaged. She never told a word after that, but showed me this."

Dark-skinned fingers searched through the papers and documents, finally taking out one and putting it in front of Grimmjow. He reached out and pulled it closer, his hands shaking. It was a copied page from some book, a very old one if the curvy handwriting had anything to do with it. It was in Latin, so he couldn't understand anything, but the all too suggestive picture was all he needed. There was a pile of bodies in it, twisted and bloodied, guts cascading down to the ground. They looked like an island on the sea of dirty, blackish blood. On the top of it, stood a lone human, wrapped in a snow white cloth, his or her –because he couldn't see what the granger was because of the bad copy- feet sinking into sickly pale corpse. But what was the most disturbing about it was the fact that the human was smiling serenely, and resting against what could be the unnaturally broad chest of a monster. It was about two heads larger than the human and had the horns of a ram, but thrice as big as the normal one. Delicate fingers were caressing the hard horn gently, almost lovingly. Its body resembled that of a human but strangely it wasn't like it – it was dark, almost black and disproportionate – its arms were longer then they should be, one of them wrapped around the human's waist and the other hand clawing at that person's arms; the blood, innocently red, was trickling down the monster's elbow. Its eyes gleamed red, and were locked at the viewer as if saying _'Come to me and die. Feel the pain, come, and give me your name. Seek me, need me and love me. Cherish only me. Call out to me, and I shall point you the way. Come to me and die.' _

Only when Yoruichi stopped, he realized that it was her speaking. "This is what is written under the picture."

"What is _this_?" he asked. "what the fuck is that thing?"

"I couldn't find its name in any source, but this is definitely a demon. From what I've read, they aren't really the strongest ones, but for us… anyway, you see those marks?" she shifted the paper on the other side. "That man was found in one of such circles. The rumor says that he was a maniac and his whole house was covered in them, but that's just rumors. At the beginning, the demon was not strong to get out of the circle, but the man stepped inside of it and got killed. Moron. Anyway, it must have stayed trapped, but still was able to influence the people living there. It got strong, in my opinion capable of fully controlling the mind and heart of a fragile, or emotionally unstable person, like …"

"…like Ichigo." Grimmjow ended.

"Yes. Kisuke told me everything about him."

"Can you help us?" he asked then, looking at her with hope, but she glanced away and sighed.

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm not strong enough to do it without hurting Ichigo and myself, that's why I stayed away."

"You could have done something, anything!" Grimmjow yelled, slamming his fist down onto the table. "Make us leave or warn us!"

"My own husband after eight years of marriage doesn't believe me! And you have to understand, I have two children, I can't just leave them alone!"

"Then what is your proposition?"

"Fire can cleanse the building, but I'm not sure if Ichigo'll let it burn as he is now." Yoruichi said as calm as possible. "And the dog, you have to kill it as well. Animals are easy to use and manipulate, it's too late for him if those bites on your arms are from his teeth." She added, putting a hand on his arm and gently rubbing it. Their eyes locked and she smiled encouragingly. It didn't even feel like a sincere smile.

They quickly jumped away when they heard the door to kitchen open slowly. Yoruichi quickly stuffed all of the papers inside of the drawer and closed it. Ururu ran in, squealing happily, followed by an uneasy looking Kisuke. He looked at them, frowning, and walked out without a word. Dark-skinned woman quickly stood up and followed him.

"What am I supposed to think? You just suddenly, like that, start to meet! He spends here more time then in his own home! I've had-!"

Grimmjow took the shouts as his cue to leave. He looked at the little girl apologetically and left.

"- enough of this shit!"

-B-

When he stepped inside of their house, he was greeted by Ichigo, who was in surprisingly good mood, and wore absolutely nothing apart from his old baggy hoodie. Orange-head wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck and pulled him closer for a mind-shattering kiss.

"Welcome home, my love." He whispered, backing off a bit to let Grimmjow take off his shoes. He was back on the blue-haired man in an instant after that, grinding his body against the other's. Blue-haired man sighed, lost in the feeling of the warm body pressed up against him, and didn't even realize they were kneeling in the hall, lips locked in a furious kiss. Ichigo didn't waste any time and pulled Grimmjow's t-shirt over his head and licked at one of the pecks. "Grimm, I want you to fuck me, long and hard. I want you to make me scream till my throat gets sore and neighbors call the police on us. Like it'd be our first and last time. You'll enter me and come inside of me so hard, I'll see the stars – here, on this floor!"

"Oh God." Grimmjow moaned, as Ichigo reached for his hardening arousal and rubbed it through the material of his jeans. Since Zangetsu's death they barely were intimate, only hugging and giving each other a kiss sometime, and he missed the affection that Ichigo once showered him with. Rational thought left him when Ichigo pulled down his zipper and freed his member, quickly descending and taking it to his mouth. They locked their gazes and he saw that the chocolate orbs were clouded – like his lover's mind was somewhere else. "Jesus! Ah… Ichigo!"

All coherent thoughts have left Grimmjow, as Ichigo bobbed his head, taking him whole into his mouth and pushed at his chest, making him fall on the floor with a thud. Blue eyes were fogged by lust, and he groaned when long fingers slid down his torso and stopped on his hips. Suddenly, the hot and wet mouth left his member.

"Grimm…"Ichigo groaned, crawling up the hard body beneath him and straddling Grimmjow's hips. Their mouths locked again, the trail of saliva trickling down Grimmjow's chin. Man's eyes widened as his smaller lover reached down and gripped his member firmly, guiding it to his entrance.

"Ichi what are you-"

"Shhh…Grimm." Orange-haired man put his pointer at the other's lips and smiled a serene smile. "I want to feel you inside. To show you how much I love you."

Blue eyes widened when Ichigo sunk down on his member and closed, missing sharp, golden orbs that observed them from behind the staircase.

-B-

Quiet, low growl erupted from his throat, but he silenced it. Shiro saw how his Master played with Grimmjow, but was not pleased even if his Master screamed in pleasure. He knew that his Master heard the thing talking. The thing even stopped punishing his Master for not listening. He couldn't believe how his Master betrayed the thing, but then he heard something only his specialized ears could heard: a high-pitched howls that underlined his Master's screams, making his usual voice seem watery.

_Confusing. Strange._

Quietly he padded across the hall, the pair too engrossed in each other to hear him, towards the entrance to the cellar. He stopped and looked at them briefly, at his Master's long, muscular legs covered in sweat, his head thrown back. Grimmjow's eyes were closed as he pounded into his Master with abandon, like in times of heat.

Shiro ran down the stairs and sat at their feet, cocking his head and looking straight ahead, towards where he knew the floor dipped a bit, right in the middle of the room.

_Why are you doing this?_

-B-

He felt the heat intensifying, and finally came, Ichigo constricting passage milking him out. Orange-head fell on top of him, panting, his muscles lose. Grimmjow frowned when he saw that the other passed out and pulled out to stand up and gather Ichigo into his arms. Carefully, he climbed the stairs and entered the second, guest bathroom in the upstairs hallway and sat Ichigo on the cabinet. He started the water and came back to his lover, stopping right before him and running a hand through his hairs. All of this felt wonderful just five minutes ago, but now he felt almost used.

Gently, he began to undress his lover, his hands shaking when the hoodie was pulled up, exposing Ichigo's abdomen. "What the fuck?" he asked himself, trailing his fingers over the scratches marring the tanned skin. Ichigo's back was the same – marks looking strangely human yet inhuman-like. Silently, with eyes as wide as plates, he washed Ichigo up, then dried him and carried him to their bedroom to set him on their bed.

When back in the hallway, he finally let loose. "Why are you doing it?" he asked the empty place. His fist banged against the wall harshly, breaking the skin. "Why the fuck are you doing this? You hear me? You touched him, you filthy demon, you touched what's mine!" he screamed.

Suddenly, he felt the wind in his hair and heard the door behind him shutting closed. He ran towards them and gripped the knob, struggling to open them. "Fuck fuck fuck… FUCK! Ichigo, you hear me? Ichigo! Please…!"

Some rumbling sound could be heard from the inside and he panicked, fighting with the door stronger, desperate to get in. He rested his forehead against the wooden surface and closing his eyes, for the first time in his life, prayed for them to open.

In a split of a second, he stumbled inside, falling to his knees in front of their bed. He looked to his left and stilled, shocked beyond any words. Ichigo, his precious Ichigo, was sitting with his back rested against the wall with his legs spread and moaning shamelessly. His chest was rising and falling rapidly and his back arched. Grimmjow saw the pleasure on the other's face and how the skin on his tights was sunk as if someone, or rather _something_,was gripping them with a brutal force. Orange-head's eyes opened – they were strangely clear and aware, not like they looked like before.

"Grimm …" he mumbled, looking right at him. "It's so good, Grimm! Ah!" they both gasped as a thin, red line appeared on Ichigo's chest, followed by another and another. A small trickle of blood ran down his skin and Grimmjow's eyes widened even more when it was smeared by an unseen force, showing marks on the tanned skin.

_**HE IS M**_

Grimmjow finally gathered himself and wanted to run to his lover, but something smashed him into the floor harshly, making it difficult for him to breathe. His hand rose weakly, and he tried to crawl, gasping for breath. His vision became blurry, and right before he fainted, he saw it – a dark, huge body hovering above Ichigo's, its filthy paws all over the lithe body. Faint panting sound was coming from the entrance behind him, then a howl drowned out any other noise.

-B-

_Master doesn't belongs to a filthy human anymore!_

Shiro sang, howling his happiness out for the world to hear.

**Please, review.**

**~Biksbit**


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